Is Starbucks the best place to meet women?

The smell of pastries and coffee made women more likely to give out their phone number. (Hat tip: Jon Sutton)

Studies have shown that pleasant scents favor positive social relationships. However, the effect of pleasant ambient odor on romantic relationships has never been tested. In a field experiment, 18–25 year old women walking alone in a shopping mall were approached by an attractive 20 year old male-confederate who solicited them for their phone number. The women were solicited as they were walking in areas with pleasant ambient odors (e.g., pastries) or with no odor. It was found that women agreed more often to the confederate’s courtship solicitation in the pleasant smelling areas. Positive mood induced by ambient odors may explain such results.